Qureshi highlights Iran’s importance in post-Trump statement scenario

ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary leader of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in National Assembly Shah Mehmood Qureshi Wednesday highlighted the importance of Iran especially in the post US President statement scenario, saying both Pakistan and Iran accommodated Afghan refugees for decades.

“It is the right decision that the Foreign Minister should visit Russia, Turkey and China to discuss the prevailing situation, but he should also visit Iran because Pakistan and Iran have borders with Afghanistan and the both accommodated Afghan refugees for years.

“We should not ignore the importance of Iran,” he said while speaking in the National Assembly during a debate on President Donald Trump’s statement regarding US policy in Afghanistan.

He praised the House for showing exemplary unity over the issue and said Pakistan had vehemently rejected the allegations of harboring terrorists and claims of getting billions of dollars aid on account of Coalition Support Fund (CSF) from the US.

He said the US had been appreciating Pakistan’s role in war on terror, but all of a sudden a U-turn was beyond understanding, adding that there was the need to remove the trust deficit between the two countries.

Qureshi said peace in Afghanistan could not be achieved through Delhi and Pakistan considered it a red-line, crossing which would not be accepted any way.

He said Pakistan did not want any confrontation and its desire for peace and stability should not be taken as its weakness. He regretted that poppy cultivation in Afghanistan and India’s arms race was going unnoticed, while concerns were raised about Pakistan.

Pakistan’s National Command and Control System is second to none in the world,he remarked. He said Pakistan rendered unmatched sacrifices in war on terror and they should be acknowledged instead of leveling allegations against Pakistan.